Extracurricular activities have been a controversial topic of discussion for decades. Parents, teachers, students, and principals have felt the need to express their opinion on the implementation of extracurricular activities. I attend Generic_School, a place where students have many extracurricular activities to choose from, all of which take place after the school day is over. Some choose to attend and others choose to abstain. I partake in them occasionally, but I tend to go home once the final bell rings. That was before my principal decided that all

Generic_School students must participate in at least one extracurricular activity, whether it be sports, yearbook design, student council, or something else. This decree has denied the freedom of choice to not only me, but hundreds of other students at my school with regards to extracurricular activities. I strongly disagree with the decision of my principal on this matter because forcing students to participate in extracurricular activities exhausts students and tremendously decreases the time that a student has to complete schoolwork assigned to them.

Generic_School students should not have to regularly participate in extracurricular activities because rather than giving students time to relax, it depletes their energy. Generic_School students are tired as it is. To understand how fatigued they are, allow me to use an example of someone who is exhausted without the addition of extracurricular activities to their schedule: me. I wake up at 5:50, board my school bus at 6:30, attend school from 7:30 to 2:15, get home at 3:00, and do homework for four hours before eating dinner and going to sleep. Add three hours to the mix and I am going to bed at 11:00, giving me only six hours to sleep. Not seven, not eight, not nine, and certainly not ten. Following a routine where there is only time for six hours of sleep decreases concentration, slows thinking, damages memory, and can even stunt growth during puberty. Generic_School students cannot simply adapt to the new conditions. No middle school student can. That is why Generic_School students should not have to chronically attend extracurricular activities because it hurts students more than it helps them.

Generic_School students should not have to consistently partake in extracurricular activities because rather than giving students a sacred time and place to complete schoolwork, it massively decreases work and study time. At Generic_School Middle School, there is a particular extracurricular activity called "Generic_Name's Work Zone" or "WWZ." WWZ is a place where students are able to sit down and complete schoolwork. Those that attend for the sole purpose of doing work choose to do so at Generic_Name's Work Zone rather than at home because WWZ is a silent work area, which should aid concentration. The problem is that most Generic_School students who attend do not come there to do work or to study but to instead play games which can distract those who are trying to work. Trust me, I know from experience. I could not do more than 30 minutes of work before being sucked into my cell phone. WWZ lasts for an hour, only half of which I used for work. That is why I stopped going. However, I do not have that option anymore now that I must participate in at least one extracurricular activity and somehow make time to work without being distracted, however difficult it may be. That is why Generic_School students should not have to routinely attend extracurricular activities because it takes work and study time away from them.

I strongly disagree with the decision of my principal because forcing Generic_School students to participate in extracurricular activities wears them out and decreases the time that a Generic_School student has to finish assigned work. First of all, extracurricular activities melt a student's energy and can negatively impact a student's health and well-being. Second, extracurricular activities lead to students being distracted, ultimately depleting work and study time. Extracurricular activities were supposed to be a way to help students complete work, come to school happier, and get better grades. However, force-feeding extracurricular activities to Generic_School students will not produce the desired effect that my principal hopes it will, and that is a fact.